What Price Love
by Honest Beauty
Summary: This is a fanfic based on the 2004 movie edition. 1st person POV from Raoul's POV on the phantom's lair scene at the end. RxC more complete summary inside. PxC bashing Beware! oneshot story R&R pls! flame reviews bashing RxC will be used as toilet paper.


What Price Love?

By: Honest Beauty

**This is a more complete summary of my fanfic that I couldn't fit onto the other summary**

My fanfic is from the point in the movie that Raoul arrives at the Phantom's lair to the point Raoul and Christine pole the boat out of sight. It is in 1st person, from Raoul's POV. My story will follow the 2004 movie as closely as I can with one exception. At the end of the scene, I will have Christine only spare a _brief_ glance of pity for the Phantom. Then she will turn back to look in front of her, as she grasps Raoul's shoulder more securely (which she _does_ do in the movie) and lean her head against _her beloved's_ shoulder.

_Italics_ – thoughts; "…" – singing or chanting; '…' – speaking; **B****old** – emphasis

Fatigue and pain war for dominance in my battered, soaked body as I finally see my goal. There was the iron portcullis, just as Christine had once told me was at the entrance of the Phantom's lair. I had been running through the knee-high waters, but when I was but a dozen meters from the gate, my treacherous body gave out. I had been trying to ignore the wound on my arm (which had reopened) the stitch in my side, the screaming of my lungs for more air, and the trembling of my legs for some time now. But now my endurance, which was never low, had reached its end rather abruptly. I half-walked, half-ran to the portcullis. Reaching it, I stopped and allowed my body to briefly recuperate but resisted the temptation to lean my hands on my knees; instead I wearily looked past the iron bars to stare into the cave. I tried to make my eyes and brain focus, but my fatigue and pain was getting in the way. All I could manage to do was gasp and concentrate on getting those two things back. At that moment I dimly hear the Phantom's cold, mocking voice float slowly into my ears to be processed by my befuddled brain.

"Wait! I think, my dear, we have a guest. Sir—" then a much more familiar and beloved voice cut off the Phantom and through the haze of my mind.

'Raoul!' Christine's clear, sweet voice was able to clear away the fog of pain and fatigue clouding my mind like nothing else. I raised my head and gazed past the bars to assess the situation. The cave itself was just as Christine described it. The Phantom was there, without his mask, wig and wearing, like me, only his loose white shirt, pants, cummerbund (the piece of clothing at the top of his pants that acts as a belt and keeps the shirt tucked in) and shoes. He was looking at me with hate, jealousy, cruelty…and sadistic joy. He opened his mouth, which was twisted in a sneer, and spoke again.

"This is indeed an unparalleled delight." My eyes roved around the rest of the cave, taking in the details, "I had rather hoped that you would come." My eyes lit on Christine. She was dressed in what could only be a wedding gown, her hair unbound, her right hand closed on something she was holding, and her shining brown eyes gazing at me in love, fear and desperate hope. "And now, my wish comes true." The insane man was now walking down the steps and towards Christine. "You have truly made my night." The Phantom finished as he used his left arm to pull Christine up against his side in a display of jealous possession. Christine still gazing at me, pushed against the Phantom's body, trying to free herself.

'Let me go,' she said, her voice trembling with fear and emotion. Her fear and revulsion of him showed in those brown eyes that still were locked with my own. That fear gave me new strength, born of my love, anger and fear. A pleading demand came out of my mouth.

"Free her! Do what you like, only free her!" I reached my left arm through the bars towards Christine in entreaty, ignoring the spasm of pain the lanced up from my left biceps. _Was it my imagination, or did the Phantom's eyes light up a bit in mad glee when I said 'do what you like'?_ That thought was shoved to the back of my mind when the Phantom shoved Christine away from him. "Have you no pity?" I continued, as I withdrew my arm to grasp the portcullis with both hands. The Phantom smirked and spoke.

"Your lover makes a passionate plea." The Phantom taunted my beloved. She glanced up briefly at the Phantom's cruel ice-blue eyes and spoke hopelessly.

"Please Raoul, it's useless." My heart skipped a beat at her tone and I grew desperate. Forgetting that I'm dealing with an insane man who is obsessed with my fiancé, I blurted out my heart-felt feelings half angrily, half desperately, hoping vainly that if nothing else, my words would bolster my beloved Christine's faltering spirits.

"I love her! Does that mean nothing?" I once again threaded my wounded left arm through the bars to reach vainly for my beloved as I sang. "I love her!" I had to let my arm rest on the bar; it was paining me too much for me to continue to hold my arm in the air. I finished in a hopeless demand. "Show some compassion!" I pulled my arm out of the portcullis once again as the Phantom responded rather quickly.

"The world showed no compassion to me!" the Phantom snarled at me. Clearly I had hit a sore spot. My tone turned pleading as I sang my next demand.

"Christine, Christine, let me see her." To my surprise, the Phantom started walking over to a switch and answered me.

"Be my guest, sir." He sang sneeringly as he pushed the switch to the other side, which raised the portcullis in front of me. Now if I had been able to think, I would have realized that something was wrong with the way the Phantom was acting. Unfortunately, my fatigue and pain had started to cloud my mind and fog my judgment again as my strength disappeared once more. I started staggering inside, looking over my head to make sure the portcullis wasn't going to drop on me, as the Phantom continued in a falsely courteous tone.

"Monsieur, I bid you welcome." He had sauntered into the water towards me as I was looking up. I turned back towards him as he continued to walk nearer to me. With his arms spread wide in false innocence, the Phantom asked me, "Did you think that I would harm her?" The Phantom was now about halfway to me. "Why would I make her pay," he continued as I did the stupidest thing that I could have done. I turned to look at the portcullis closing, for I had heard the iron bars start moving down. As I started turning slowly around to the gate, the Phantom was singing, "for the sins which are yours?" as he finished, I felt a loop of wet, coarse rope come over my head and catch at my throat and right shoulder cap. Christine's gasp of horror almost escaped my awareness as I choked and frantically reached my right hand up to pull the rope away from my neck as I felt the Phantom yank on the rope, pulling my body backwards and off balance.

I twisted around quickly, trying to simultaneously get my balance back, free myself of the noose, for that was what it was, and see what the Phantom would do next. Too late I remembered Mme Giry's advice to me: 'Keep your hand at the level of your eyes.' Too late to try to remove the rope now, I had to deal with the Phantom so he would not have the chance to strangle me. The inane man rushed me just as I had turned around and was regaining my balance singing, "Order your". I struggle against him with all of my almost nonexistent remaining strength, but I knew that the struggle could not be won in my favor. I was too weak from pain and fatigue, and he was larger than me and possessed the strength of the insane. As he continued to sing, "Fine horses" the Phantom slammed me up against the now closed portcullis. My back and head screamed at me in pain as I hit the cold iron hard, and yet I still struggled to free myself. "Now!" he finished, grabbing my left wrist in a painfully tight grip. Somewhere in the depths of my mind a small part of me realized that this man had eavesdropped on us that night we were on the roof of the opera house. No time for thoughts like that now. To mock me, the Phantom wrenched my left arm up and tied it to the portcullis bars about a foot away from my head, at the level of my eyes. As he did this he sang, "Raise up your hand to the level of your eyes!" my reopened wound screamed at me as he finished tightening the harsh rope around my left wrist securely as I watched. But while I watched him and he was preoccupied with my left arm, I used my right arm to try and throw the Phantom away from me. I didn't work. As he finished singing 'your eyes' he shoved his scarred face up in front of mine to snarl at me while his hands transferred their painfully grasp to my right wrist, which was still pushing against his torso. He shoved my right wrist down beside my right hip and started to tie it down with the same length of long rope he had used on my other hand.

While he did this, the Phantom sang "Nothing can save you now, except for perhaps, Christine!" as he finished singing my beloved's name, the Phantom cruelly yanked the rope tight around my wrist, cutting off circulation and sending daggers of pain up my arm into my back. Involuntarily, my back arched with the pain from my wrist and my eyes squeezed themselves shut as my lips peeled back from my open mouth, exposing my teeth, in a gasp of pain. The pain quickly faded to a bearable level and I shut my mouth and opened my eyes to glance down at my right wrist to see if it was tied as securely as my left. It was. So I quickly swung my eyes back up to the Phantom's face and a glared at him, even as a terrible theory popped into my mind: _Did he set this whole thing up? Is that why he let me into his lair?_ The Phantom turned his back to me and walked towards Christine. Christine looked absolutely horrified and terrified at what lay before her eyes. She looked at me with tear filled brown eyes until the Phantom spoke to her.

She transferred her gaze to him as he sang, "Start a new life with me." I suddenly knew that my theory was correct that he had set both of us up, and I had a pretty good idea of what he was going to use me as: a collateral. I renewed my efforts to free myself futilely, jerking my body back and forth across the bars as the insane man continued, "Buy his freedom with your love!" hoping desperately I was wrong, I continued to struggle, making the coarse rope cut into the tender flesh of the insides of my wrists and one of the ropes crossing my torso chaff against my sword wound, setting the nerves afire. "Refuse me and you send your lover to his death!" I stopped struggling, seeing my beloved so shocked and horrified by the Phantom's ultimatum, as he finished triumphantly and forcefully, "This is the choice! This is the point of no return!"

I panted and my face fell as my mind rapidly put everything together. He **knew**! He knew that I would come and try to rescue Christine; he had counted on the fact! I had played right into his hand. Now I understood, too late, why he had looked at me with joy, why he had sounded genuinely pleased when he said that he was happy that I had come, why he had let me into his lair. The Phantom was going to force Christine to "voluntarily" join and love him with the very real threat of my death. And it hadn't slipped my mind that the Phantom had not promised her that she would be** free to leave** if she chose to let me die and not love him. There was no way for either of us to win! As I heard Christine let out a dry sob of anguish, my head dropped in defeat and despair. I wondered how Christine would respond to the Phantom's cold-blooded ultimatum. I didn't have long to postulate on what she might say.

Christine stopped crying and looked at the Phantom and sang, "The tears I might have shed for your dark fate, grow cold and turn to tears of hate!" I knew right then that now the Phantom would force her to be with him, by carrying out his threat but giving her one last chance to join him "freely" and save me. And I knew that he would be perfectly willing to kill me in order to make her join him. I had failed my Christine. She had done what I hoped she would: stand strong against the Phantom's spell and threats and speak her true feelings but at a terrible price to both her and me. Now she would become his slave either way she chose and I would lose my life at his hand or my heart would be broken by this inhuman monster.

Struggling not to cry with despair and pain, I raised my head towards Christine and pleaded with her, even as the Phantom started walking over to a pile of rope. "Christine, forgive me, please forgive me." I shook my head in hopeless denial of what was going to happen and what she was about to go through. "I did it all for you and all for nothing." As I sang 'I did' Christine started singing also, to the Phantom: "Farewell my fallen idol and false friend," as she sang this the Phantom gathered up the rope, which turned out to be a noose, and started moving back towards me. I knew what she meant by those words; she was telling the Phantom that the friendship she still held for him was broken now, and she regretted that it had to turn out this way.

Simultaneously Christine sang, "We had such hopes," as the Phantom sang back at her, "Too late for turning back," the Phantom said to Christine, keeping his eyes on her as he moved back into the water towards me. "Now those hopes are shattered," Christine stated even as the Phantom sang, "too late for prayers and useless pity!" the Phantom had turned away from her and was now striding towards me in the water as my Christine briefly started to follow him.

Fearing now that Christine could still be swayed by her former teacher I sang out, "Say you love him," as Christine stopped and he continued, "All hope of cries for help." "And my life is over" I finished with heartbreaking surety, as the Phantom reached me singing, "no point in fighting!" I wonder briefly if that last part was meant for just her or for both of us. No time for that now, for the Phantom now slung the noose he carried over my neck as he sang, "For either way you choose you cannot win!" at the same time, I sang to Christine basically the same thing: "But either way you choose he has to win!" as the word 'he' left my lips, I felt the rope around my neck, I wasn't painfully tight, but it was a constant reminder of how close death was. The Phantom threaded the rope through a higher bar to my right as he continued to sing. "So do you end your days with me?" I looked briefly down at the rope circling my neck before raising my head to look back at the insane man who held my life in his hands. "Or do you send him to his grave?" the Phantom finished as he gave the rope a yank to emphasis his threat as a painful growl was forced from my lips from the bite of the rope.

"Why make her lie to you to save me?" I bit out savagely, my face twisted in hatred towards the man in front of me, as he paced away from me, gazing at Christine and uncoiling the rope as he went. I could tell I struck a nerve with my last comment, for the Phantom glared at me and gave the rope a vicious yank. I felt my body automatically straighten against the bars, trying to relieve the pressure against my windpipe as a growling grunt escaped my lips. Thankfully the rope was situated just below my jaw, so the rope didn't crush my vocal cords. I hear my love's voice again as the Phantom is choking me.

"Angel of Music," she sang at the Phantom as he also sang, "Past the point of no return," fearing she was going to give in to his ultimatum, I desperately cut in, "Christine say no!" thankfully her next words made me realize that she was only begging the Phantom to stop, "who deserve this?"

"Don't throw your life away for my sake!" I cried out to Christine, tears pricking my eyes for what the phantom was putting her through. But simultaneously, the Phantom drove home his ultimatum. "His life is now the prize which you must earn!" sensing that she was indeed going to sacrifice her freedom for my life, I sang, "I fought so hard to free you" mingled despair and defeat coloring my voice.

Silence reigned supreme in the small cavern as the Phantom and I both looked at Christine, waiting for her answer and she in turn looked at me and the her insane teacher with tears streaming down her beautiful face. She opened her mouth and sang.

"Angel of music," as the Phantom sang triumphantly, "You've past the point of no return." Christine then continued, her tone switching from despair to accusatory. "You deceived me." She paused and then continued quietly, 'I gave you my mind blindly.'

'You try my patience.' The Phantom shot back 'Make your choice!' As if to show how impatient he was, the Phantom jerked the rope in his hand viciously. The rope cut off my air instantly and a horrible strangled sound emerged from my lips. My tongue briefly slipped out of my mouth in an involuntary reaction as my eyes filled with tears of pain. I pulled my tongue back in quickly as I looked up at Christine with tortured eyes. But not for myself, for what she was going through. I tried to convey a message to her silently as I nodded my head to her. _Just let me die, I'm ready and willing to. Don't break both our hearts and throw your life away._ I saw her mouth tremble and her lips move slightly as if she was going to speak, but she didn't. I know then that she has made her decision; she was going to save me even if it meant spending the rest of her days with an insane man. The rope being too tight for me to speak, I begged her not to carry through with her decision with my eyes. Christine's eyes were twin pools of misery as she slid those chocolate orbs from me to the heavily breathing Phantom.

"Pitiful creature of darkness," she sang softly as she walked through the water towards the Phantom. "What kind of life have you known?" the Phantom stared at her in confusion and slowly rising hope as she moved closer to him. He neither tightened nor loosened the tension on the rope choking me, however. "God give me the courage to show you," by now she was halfway to him, her hand still closed around something, and my heart felt like it was being squeezed by the noose instead of my neck and I could feel hot tears of anguish pricking my eyes. "You are not alone." She finished as she slipped what was in her hand, the ring that I had given her and the phantom had stolen, onto the third finger of her left hand, her ring finger. As I stared in heartbreak, she then placed that hand on the Phantom's right shoulder, leaned up and placed her lips on his.

My world and heart shattered. The fight and life drained rapidly out of my bruised body, as I let my body sag against the rope that tied me to the portcullis. Tears burned tracks down my dirty cheeks as I dimly saw the rope being dropped by the Phantom and the pressure on my throat easing by the smallest bit. I wanted to close my eyes and howl the pain I felt in my heart to the cold unfeeling world. But all I could do was watch my beloved pull briefly away from the Phantom before kissing him again and the Phantom kissing her back. Unable to watch anymore, I let my head drop and my eyes become too filled to see anything clearly. Finally, I saw her pull away a second time from the corner of my eye. I slowly raise my head to see Christine searching the Phantom's eyes with her own. I couldn't see any part of the Phantom but his back, but after a few seconds I saw his head bow forward and his shoulders start to shake with emotion. I see my Christine attempt a smile, even though I can see from her face her heart is just as broken as mine.

Then in the distance I hear furious chanting. "Track down this murderer." Then I hear the Phantom speak.

'Take her! Forget me. Forget all of this!' the Phantom burst out brokenly as he slunk out of the water and into his lair. I look at Christine, who is standing stunned, but her eyes glowing with dawning hope that her former teacher had enough compassion to realize what he was doing and enough sanity and humanity left to stop. I dared to hope and started rotating my neck, trying to loosen the noose encircling it. 'Leave me alone,' Christine turns to me and starts walking through the water to me as the Phantom continues, 'Forget all you've seen. Go now. Don't let them find you.' I stood up straighter against my bindings, finding new strength from hope, and started tugging at the ropes binding my hands. By now Christine had reached me, a joyful smile stretched across her lips. I felt my own lips try to mimic her but the pain of the rope was distracting me. Quickly she reached up and loosened the rope around my neck. I gasped in relief and for air, throwing my head back to get air in easier past my bruised windpipe. Briefly I felt her small hand follow the line of my jaw before she turned her attention to untying my right hand. Quickly she freed my hand and I winced and arched my back in pain as blood rushed back into my hands and the rope rubbed against my sore wrists. The Phantom continued, 'Take the boat, swear to me never to tell the secrets you know of the angel in hell.' She freed my left hand as he finished and I helped her pull the remaining ropes off, grimacing in pain while at it. The mob had drawn closer and we could hear their chants as the last of the ropes came off my body.

"The Phantom of the Opera is there, deep down below." Ignoring the mob for the moment I felt Christine throw her arms around my sore neck, but at this point I didn't care. I feverishly returned her embrace, burying my face in her chocolate curls as we clung to each other. Suddenly the Phantom's anguished voice interrupts us.

"Go now! Go now and leave me!" both Christine and I look up to see the Phantom retreat into his bedroom. Christine then turned to me.

'Raoul I need to do something before we leave.' She held up her left hand, making it clear she wanted to leave the ring with the Phantom.

'That's fine, dearheart. I'll get the boat ready and lift the portcullis. Don't be too long.' I replied, my voice only a tad hoarse.

'I won't. I love you Raoul.' She said slipping from my loose arms.

'I love you as well, Christine.' I replied as she smiled then turned. She disappeared into the Phantom's bedroom as I walked over to the lever I saw the Phantom us to open the portcullis earlier. Pulling it, I saw the gate rise up, so I then moved to where the boat was. By the time I had gotten the boat ready to depart, Christine had returned. She looked a little sad and shaken, but she was dry-eyed and smiling to see me. After helping each other into the boat, I took up the pole and pushed wearily off. I felt my body trembling with fatigue and my balance wavering. Christine obviously saw this and stood beside me to help support me. As we past under the raised portcullis, she started to sing.

"Say you'll share with me one love one lifetime."

I smiled and sang my reply. "Say the word and I will follow you." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her glance briefly over my shoulder, a look of pity in her expressive eyes. She then firmly turned her beautiful head to look ahead of us and leaned lightly against my shoulder. She then continued singing.

"Share each day with me, each night, each morning." As we continued our duet, she pointed the way to the exit as I leaned a little heavily on the pole, but way able to steer well enough. I felt that the gloomy surrounding were highly out of place with the joy and love we both felt for one another. We reached the stairs and as we climbed them together, I knew that our future would be a happy one filled with joy, song and laughter.

The End.

**HB here.**** Thanks to a tip from truth ****Questor****; she reminded me that it is against guidelines to post a chapter full of ****authors**** notes. So I cut out my rant and replaced it with the story. All better now! Please Review, thanks! **


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